HIKING THE NATIONAL PARKS

THE TOP 10 NATIONAL PARKS RANKED FOR HIKING

To be clear, with the possible exceptions of Dry Tortugas, Biscayne, and Gateway Arch, there are no national parks that aren’t wonderful spots for hiking. (And apologies to those three, but Gateway Arch National Park is America’s smallest national park, located within the city of St. Louis, while Dry Tortugas and Biscayne aren’t great for hiking what with their being primarily underwater.)

That said, according to a study conducted by the team at KURU Footwear, there are 10 American National Parks that should be at the top of the must-visit list for those who love hiking in the finest of wilderness wonderlands.

And by the way, a lot of people seem to love doing just that: hiking (and general outdoor recreation) saw a steep increase in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and so far, even as the pandemic fades, the increased popularity of the outdoors remains. Per the report we’re covering today, in 2022, there were a stunning 312 million recreational visits recorded by the National Park Service, and of course that leaves out all the treks, campouts, climbs, and so forth in state parks and on other lands.

For the most part, that’s great news: of course we here at Dad Gear Review are all about more and more people getting out there and enjoying the wilderness. But we also have to acknowledge the fact that the more people who go to any given place on our planet, the more strain is put on the land and the flora and fauna that call it home. So, as you consider which of these 10 best National Parks for hikers you will visit first (and second and third and fourth), please just plan to follow all Leave No Trace best practices as you enjoy the trail.

Now, before we talk about the actual parks, a few words on how the KURU team selected these hikers dream National Parks. Their report says in part: “We looked at several metrics: high number of trails, miles of trails, and a high average trail rating score. We also found the crowd density in each park by comparing the average number of daily visitors with the acreage of the park.”

Got all that? Long story short, these beautiful parks have lots of well-maintained trails and, based on their size and the number of people who visit, you are likely to enjoy those trails in relative solitude. What more could you ask for? Provided your gear is in order, we’d say nothing, so let’s talk about the 10 best National Parks for hiking.

  1. Yosemite National Park

  2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

  3. Yellowstone National Park

  4. Olympic National Park

  5. Shenandoah National Park

  6. Glacier National Park

  7. Rocky Mountain National Park

  8. Sequoia National Park

  9. Grand Canyon National Park

  10. Kings Canyon National Park

A pretty great list, we think. And while California gets three of the 10, we were also happy to see the great hiking opportunities called out for those on the East Coast as well as more central and northern spots.

But when you consider the data and recommendations from KURU’s hiking experts, make sure you also look beyond the top 10 National Parks named, because just because a place didn’t number among that august few doesn’t mean it’s not a great place for a trek. In fact, with those few aquatic and/or very small National Parks aside, there’s not a park among the 63 total National Parks that’s not a great place to ramble about. 

Good luck getting to Kobuk Valley, though…

GRAPHIC AND DATA C/O KURU FOOTWEAR